If you are a Godly husband or Godly wife, you must raise Godly children. Many parents, including Christian parents, think that raising a child is about bringing them to Church after providing all the basic comforts the child needs. Well, raising Godly children goes beyond taking them to Church. Eli's sons grew up in the temple, and yet they were not Godly.
The moment you lose conscience as a parent, the enemy is not far from inflicting evil on the heart of your little one. It is because the heart of a small child is fragile. It can allow the manipulation of the devil. The book of Proverbs 22:6 instructs a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Raising godly children is our duty as parents to children and our commitment to God. Being a Pastor does not make your children Godly. It requires a constant effort to achieve it. Eli was a priest, but his sons wallow in sin and iniquity. He was so busy with his priesthood duty that he did not see fit to reprimand his sons when the need arose. The successful existence of our children affects our moral and spiritual behavior and our alertness. The devil cannot be allowed to take over the minds of his children from him.
You need to raise godly children. Hope this article awakens the sleeping Christians father and mother within you and make amendments when necessary.
Reasons Why You Should Raise Godly Children:
1. Because God Ordained It:
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old, he will not depart from it. ~Proverbs 22:6
First, before anything else, the reason why you should strive to raise your children in the way of the Lord is that God ordained it. God is no stranger to the damage he harbors in the mind of a little one when he is not cared for properly. That is why God instructed that children be brought up in the way of the Lord so that when they grow up, they will not depart from him.
That is why the Scripture warns that they are trained in the way they must follow so that when they grow up, they do not stray from it.
2. Because His Destiny Depends On Him:
God is the author of everyone's destiny. You must do your part as parents, not ruin your children's destiny as parents. Eli was from the lineage of Leviticus. His family of him was born to be priests of the Lord. Eli, because he was well educated by his father, rose to the position of the priesthood. However, after Eli became a priest, he was so busy that he refused to raise his children in the way of the Lord.
Eli's sons would steal from the offerings that the people have given for the sacrifice. They sleep with different women. And while this was going on, people would tell him about the vile act perpetrated by Eli's sons, and yet he would do nothing about it. The wrath of the Lord seized the sons of Eli; they mysteriously died. The news of Eli's death was too much for him. The scripture records that Eli died, breaking his neck and choking on vomit.
Because Eli relented in raising his sons in a godly way, God declared that Eli and their homes are separated from His favor.
3. So They Can Give You Rest:
Correct your son, and he will give you rest; Yes, he will give delight to your soul. ~Proverbs 29:17
Most likely, you are tormented by the mistake of not raising your children in the way of the Lord. A child raised in a pious way will fear God and will do everything that God commanded, including obeying his parents. However, a child whose upbringing is deprived of mercy will do almost anything.
When you are old and your strength fails, your work with the children will determine whether or not you will find rest before death. We have seen quite a few cases of children hitting their elderly parents. We have cases of children who have gotten their parents into one problem or another. In fact, the Scripture was not wrong when it commanded that children be brought up in the way of the Lord so that they might give their parents rest.
4. So That The Enemy Does Not Win The Soul:
After all your efforts here on earth, it will be an epic failure if you allow the devil to win the soul of your children. The scripture says in the book of 1 Peter 5: 8, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
The devil walks day and night looking for someone to devour. He would not devour them by eating his flesh from him. He will devour them, destroy their justice and make them a more useful tool for themselves. However, this can be avoided by making a conscious effort to raise a child in the way of the Lord.
5. So That They Can Be Useful To God:
And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor with the LORD and men. ~1 Samuel 2:26
The main purpose of our existence as humans is to serve God, although we have other divine purposes to fulfill on earth. Samuel was dedicated to the things of the Lord by his mother, Hannah. So Samuel grew up in the temple of the Lord, serving under Eli the priest.
When children are raised in the way of the Lord, they are not only valuable to the parents; they become a powerful tools in the hands of God.
In conclusion, godly parenting is very important in the life of any child. He must make sure to play his part in it today as a father.